Celastrina, or Hops Blue, is a tiny blue butterfly found living on wild hop plants along the Front Range of Colorado. Little is known about this rare species, but we hope to change that. Celastrina Saison pays tribute to this winged creature with delicate hints of banana and clove-like flavor, typical of a traditional Saison, that flutter with a subtle spice character derived only from the hops used. $1 from each bottle sold will go to the Colorado Natural Heritage Program to help fund research of the Hops Blue butterfly.

Reviews by intensify:

I'll make this one short. Calestrina is truly an above average Saison from the boys at Odell. The pour in a tulip holds a high head that lasts and leaves plenty of lacing. Smells of strong spices, pineapple, cracked pepper, mango and a touch of bread aroma. Easy to sip on, mango and pineapple really push at first, followed by a bready finish and a touch of bitterness to round things out. Good mouthfeel, not to thick and has a nice balance of body to it with a good amount of carbonation to keep things fresh in the palate. If you can buy a bomber of Calestrina, do it. You wont regret it.

More User Reviews:

Appearance: Cloudy honey with huge, foamy white head that persists for awhile and clings nicely.

Smell: Banana, clove, oranges, bread and pepper.

Taste: Bready and fruity, with banana and citrus. It is earthy and musty, but not at all tart, as many of the more earthy Saisons are. Cloves and hops are very noticeable on the finish, with the hops deserving special mention for strong orange and pepper notes.

Feel: High carbonation, medium body that is slightly too sticky and not effervescent enough. Semi-dry finish.

Overall: Nice Saison overall, which actually seems to have some Tripel traits. However, other than the strong, distinct hops, this is a relatively straightforward Saison that doesn't seem to deserve the expensive price tag. While I don't let price impact my score here, it will prevent repeat purchasing.

Overly carbonated so I had to wait with this beer. Beautiful color and lacing for sure, but over looked because of the carbonation. Very earthy and hay smell to it. Light to drink and very easy to drink. I enjoy the beer, but I would prefer to see it in a 6 pack rather than a bomber. Great idea by Odell, but missing that something in the taste to push it over the edge.

750 ml corked bottle. No date stamp which is unusual for Odell. Maybe it was planned as a one-off release.

Poured into a goblet, Celastrina is a pale golden yellow color with thick white head that builds before it settles.

Aroma is appropriately fruity, floral, and funky like a good saison should be. It's more fruit forward than anything.

Flavor is fairly bold for the style with plenty of hops in typical American fashion. It has the same nice floral and tropical fruit flavors from the aroma but it's stronger than expected. The yeast adds a lot of character but there's more bitterness than expected.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and strongly carbonated. It's bottle conditioned and the carbonated seems about right for a saison but more than I care for typically in my beer.

Overall a solid saison but there are certainly some better ones out there at this price. Next time I would go for a true Belgian.

served in odell glassware - cloudy light orange body, lively carbonation, huge frothy white cap with heavy retention. A classic saison - heavy carbonation, nicely spiced, some citrusy hops (but not to the level of the lovely Wellspring saison), a little pineapple and tropical fruit. Would compliment most dishes, but on new years day, it happens to be some pulled chicken nachos with blacked eyed pea salsa and avocado. Glad I brought this back from the Fort.